Removable panel for suspended ceiling and suspended ceiling integrating such a removable panel

ABSTRACT

A removable panel includes a fixed section, an opening section able to be reversibly nested in the fixed section, at least one sling fastened to the fixed section at a first end and reversibly fastened to the opening section at a second end. The removable panel also includes at least one attachment means making it possible to maintain the opening section engaged in the fixed section. Each attachment means including a central portion in pivot connections with the opening section, the central portion having at an upper end an attachment portion intended for coming into contact with the fixed section, and at a lower end a manipulation portion. A suspended ceiling is also provided and includes an assembly of modular panels at least one of which is the removable panel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of French patent application number FR 2007536 filed on Jul. 17, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of architecture.

More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the field of suspended ceilings.

The present disclosure has particular application in the field of acoustics and acoustic panels.

2. Brief Description of Related Developments

Beyond aesthetical, thermal and/or acoustic considerations, installing a suspended ceiling makes it possible to dissimulate in particular the ventilation ducts and electrical cable pathways by the creation of a technical space, or plenum.

Panels are known from prior art intended for forming suspended ceilings.

French patent application published under number FR 3 082 538 describes a removable panel intended for being integrated into a suspended ceiling. The removable panel includes a fixed section, an opening section maintained to the fixed section by means of at least one magnet, at least one sling connecting the fixed section to the opening section, and a safety device able to provide the fastening of the sling to the opening section.

A disadvantage of this solution is that the use of magnets does not allow for an optimum maintaining of the opening section to the fixed section.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure aims to resolve the disadvantages of the prior art.

The present disclosure relates to a removable panel including:

-   -   a fixed section;     -   an opening section able to be reversibly nested, at least         partially, in said fixed section;     -   at least one sling fastened to said fixed section at a first end         and reversibly fastened to said opening section at a second end;

According to the present disclosure, the opening section of the removable panel includes at least one attachment means making it possible to maintain said opening section engaged in said fixed section, each attachment means including a central portion in a pivot connection with the opening section, said central portion having at an upper end an attachment portion intended for coming into contact with the fixed section, and at a lower end a manipulation portion. Likewise, the fixed section includes at least one plateau and at least one notch configured to cooperate with said attachment means.

In an aspect, the removable panel includes a closed position wherein the attachment portion is bearing on the plateau of the fixed section, and an open position wherein the attachment portion is pivoted in the notch.

In a preferred aspect, the notch of the fixed section includes an “L” or “inverted L” shape, a longitudinal side of the notch being aligned with an edge of the fixed section, and wherein fixed section the plateau is located in continuity with said notch.

In a preferred aspect, the attachment portion is a substantially flat portion, and in the closed position, said attachment portion is in face-to-face contact with the plateau of the fixed section.

In an aspect, the removable panel includes moreover at least one safety device able to provide a fastening of the at least one sling to the opening section.

In an aspect, the opening section includes at least one groove, each groove being associated with a safety device, and each safety device includes an arm, and a first rivet and a second rivet, disposed on either side of said associated groove, the arm being fastened by means of the first rivet to the frame of the opening section by a first end of said arm, so that the arm is able to pivot about the axis of said rivet by manual action, the second rivet being intended for cooperating with a hole of said arm to lock said safety device.

In an aspect, the fixed section is a parallelepiped frame having a square section, of which a vertical branch is disposed on the inside side of said frame, and of which a horizontal branch includes said notch.

In an aspect, the central portion has a substantially flat and rectangular shape, the attachment portion extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central portion from the upper end of said central portion, and the manipulation portion is a substantially flat portion extending from the lower end of said central portion in a direction forming an angle substantially comprised between 0 and 180 degrees with a direction normal to said central portion.

In an aspect, the angle formed by the manipulation portion and the direction normal to said central portion is substantially comprised between 30 and 90 degrees.

The present disclosure also relates to a suspended ceiling including an assembly of modular panels. According to the present disclosure, the suspended ceiling includes a removable panel according to the present disclosure.

In an aspect, the suspended ceiling is an acoustic suspended ceiling and the modular panels as well as the at least one removable panel are of the type:

-   -   aerated filter panel comprised of a framework covered with a         perforated textile cover stretched over said framework or;     -   absorbent panel comprised of a framework supporting an absorbent         wad and a microporous veil, the assembly being covered with a         textile cover.

In an aspect, the modular panels are maintained together by linear junction systems providing a flatness of said suspended ceiling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure shall be better understood when reading the following description and when examining the accompanying figures. The latter are shown only for the purpose of information and in no way limit the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of an acoustic suspended ceiling in a particular configuration.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a suspended ceiling having a removable panel of which the opening section is cleared from the fixed section.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a fixed section of a removable panel according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B shows a detail of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3C shows a top view of a notch shown in FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an opening section of a removable panel according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of an attachment means according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 5B shows a side view of an attachment means according to the present disclosure, in a first aspect.

FIG. 5C shows a side view of an attachment means according to the present disclosure, in a second aspect.

FIG. 5 D shows a perspective view of the engagement and disengagement mechanism of the attachment means. ON THE LEFT: closed position, ON THE RIGHT: open position.

FIG. 6A shows a vertical cross-section view of the fixed section and of the opening section nested and maintained together by the attachment means.

FIG. 6B shows a vertical cross-section view of the fixed sections and opening sections of two adjacent removable panels connected together by a linear junction system.

FIG. 6C shows a vertical cross-section view of the fixed sections and opening sections of two adjacent panels connected together by a linear junction system, with one of the panels being a removable panel and the other panel not being removable.

FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of a portion of an opening section of a removable panel according to the present disclosure, of which a safety device according to the present disclosure is in the open or unlocked position.

FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of a portion of an opening section of a removable panel according to the present disclosure, of which a safety device according to the present disclosure is in the closed or locked position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In reference to FIG. 1, a suspended ceiling 1 is composed of an assembly of modular panels 10 broken down into filter panels 10F and into absorbent panels 10A, respectively named in the rest of the description “filters” and “absorbents”.

The filters 10F are panels comprised of a frame covered with a perforated textile cover 11 stretched over said frame. The filters 10F make it possible for example to filter a light source located in a plenum located between the suspended ceiling 1 and a ceiling of a room in which said suspended ceiling is installed, or to allow the air of an air conditioner to circulate. In an aspect, the frame of the filters is made of metal.

The absorbents 10A are opaque elements intended for acoustic correction. The absorbents 10A are panels comprised of a frame, an absorbent material such as absorbent wad, and a microporous veil, the assembly being covered with a textile cover 11. In an aspect, the frame of the absorbents is made of metal.

The modular panels 10 are fastened together by linear junction systems 6, themselves fastened to the ceiling by a system of cables 2, as shown in FIG. 2.

According to the present disclosure, the suspended ceiling 1 includes moreover at least one removable panel 10T, or “trap”, as shown in FIG. 2. The removable panel 10T also has a filter or absorbent function but can be removed in order to allow access to the plenum, as shall be understood in what follows.

Each removable panel 10T is comprised of a fixed section 100T and of an opening section 101T, said opening section being able to be reversibly nested in said fixed section, from underneath said fixed section, so that, when the opening section 101T is nested in the fixed section 100T, the removable panel 10T is not substantially distinguishable from the other modular panels 10 that comprise the suspended ceiling 1. In the entire description, the notions of “lower and “upper” portions are in reference to the position of the panel once integrated into the suspended ceiling.

In reference to FIG. 3A, the fixed section 100T is mainly comprised of a substantially rectangular frame, called in what follows “fixed section frame”, having substantially the dimensions of another panel 10 of the suspended ceiling 1, and including four profiles with a square section able to receive the opening section 101T. In an aspect, the fixed section frame is comprised of a metal material.

The square section of the profiles has a vertical branch 1000 placed on the inside side of the fixed section frame and a horizontal branch 1001 forming an upper portion of the fixed section.

Those skilled in the art will understand when reading the description that the shape of the removable panel 10T is not limited to the shape and to the dimensions described hereinabove, but can be declined into various geometrical shapes, according in particular to the shape of other panels of the suspended ceiling 1 wherein it is intended for being integrated.

The present disclosure proposes an optimised attachment mechanism that makes it possible to engage with complete safety the opening section to the fixed section, as well as to easily disengage said opening section. For this purpose, the present disclosure proposes to provide the fixed section with at least one plateau and a notch intended for cooperating with an attachment means of the opening section. In particular, the plateau and the notch include a shape able to receive an attachment portion of said attachment means.

In a preferred aspect shown in FIG. 3B showing a detail of FIG. 3A, the fixed section 100T comprises an assembly of four notches 1002 having substantially an “L” or “inverted L” shape.

In reference to FIG. 3C showing a top view of a notch 1002 in the shape of an inverted “L”, each notch 1002 is virtually divided into a first rectangular recessed zone 1012 corresponding to an inclined portion of the “L”-shaped form of the notches, and a second recessed rectangular zone 1022 corresponding to a straight portion of the “L”-shaped form of the notches, highlighted in the figure by means of a broken lines. The first rectangular zone 1012 has a first depth P1 that is more substantial than a second depth P2 of the second rectangular zone 1022. The two recessed rectangular zones a plateau 1032, also virtually highlighted by broken lines. The plateau 1032 is therefore a solid rectangular zone of the fixed section in continuity with the first recessed rectangular zone 1012 of the notch and of the second recessed rectangular zone 1022, said plateau being located at the internal angle of the notch in the shape of an “L”.

The fixed section 100T is fastened to the other panels 10 by the same linear junction system 6 as the one used between any two panels 10.

In reference to FIG. 4, the opening section 101T is mainly comprised of a frame, referred to in what follows as “opening section frame”, having substantially the dimensions of another panel 10 of the suspended ceiling 1, and including four profiles with a square section over which is intended for stretching the textile adapted to the role that the panel has to fulfil, i.e. filter or absorbent.

Although the sections of the profiles of the fixed section and opening section frames described hereinabove are those of a preferred aspect, those skilled in the art will understand that they are not limited to the latter. By way of example, the opening section frame could also have the form of a “C”-shaped profile.

In an aspect, the opening section frame is comprised of a metal material.

The opening section 101T is provided with an assembly of attachment means 3 disposed on a lateral face 1011 formed by the assembly of the profiles of the opening section frame.

In FIG. 4, the attachment means 3 are distributed over two parallel profiles of the opening section frame, two of said attachment means being placed on a first profile and two other attachment means 3 being placed facing on the parallel profile.

In reference to FIG. 5A, the attachment means 3 each include a central portion 30 having at an upper end said attachment portion 31, and at a lower end a manipulation portion 32. The central portion 30 has a substantially flat and rectangular shape, and is in pivot connection with the lateral face 1011. In the example shown, the central portion 30 has a circular hole 301 allowing for the fastening of the attachment means to the opening section.

In reference to FIGS. 5B and 5C, the attachment portion 31 is a flat portion extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central portion 30. The attachment portion 31 is therefore a surface of the fixed section of dimensions substantially equal to those of the plateau 1032.

FIG. 5D, shows a closed position (detail on the left) and an open position (detail on the right) of the attachment means. In the open position, the attachment portion is pivoted in the recessed zone of the notch of the fixed section, and so that said attachment portion is not bearing against the fixed section and can be cleared from said fixed section. In the closed position, the attachment portion is pivoted at the plateau 1032 of the fixed section, and so as to cause said attachment portion to bear against the plateau 1032. The plateau 1032 of the fixed section is therefore retained towards the opening section by said attachment portion being itself connected to a vertical branch of said opening section.

In a preferred aspect, the attachment portion includes a substantially flat shape and the assembly of the lower surface thereof comes into contact, face-to-face, with the plateau of the fixed section. In this aspect, the plateau will therefore have dimensions equal to those of the attachment portion, which provides optimum stability to the closed position. Indeed, when a portion of the attachment portion is not in contact with the plateau, the weight of the opening section can optionally, and according to the case, destabilize the closing and accidentally pivot the attachment means towards the open position thereof.

According to the preferred aspect, the notches has an “L” shape with a longitudinal side of said notch on an edge of the horizontal branch of the fixed section. It is thus possible to prevent the friction of the central portion of the attachment means with the edge of the fixed section, and therefore to facilitate the changing in position of said attachment means.

The manipulation portion 32 is a flat portion extending from a lower end of the central portion 30 in a direction forming an angle a with a direction normal to the central portion 30, said angle a being substantially comprised between 0 and 180 degrees.

The suspended ceiling being described here without relief, i.e. a lower end of a panel of the ceiling is substantially at the same level as a lower end of an adjacent panel, the upper limit of 180 degrees comes from the presence of a panel adjacent to the removable panel, which can prevent the implementation of an attachment means 3 having an angle a greater than 180 degrees, if the difference between the panels is less than the length of the manipulation portion. However, those skilled in the art will understand that a more substantial angle can be considered in other cases, for example if the suspended ceiling has a relief, and in particular a lower face of the adjacent panel is at an altitude greater than that of the removable panel.

To allow for the placing of two acoustic panels according to the present disclosure facing, the angle a is preferably comprised between 0 and 90 degrees.

Preferably, the angle a is comprised between 30 and 90 degrees, so as to prevent an operator charged with manipulating the manipulation portion 32 from exerting, intuitively, a traction force on said manipulation portion, thus risking damaging the removable panel.

A regular and symmetrical distribution of the attachment means such as shown allows for a better maintaining of the opening section 101T, as shall be understood when reading what follows, however those skilled in the art will understand that the number of attachment means and the configuration thereof are not limited to the example shown. The attachment means can for example be disposed on non-parallel profiles. In an aspect, the attachment means are comprised of a metal material.

In reference to FIG. 6A, the textile 11 of the removable panel 10T, shown as a thick line, is fastened to an upper face 1010 of the opening section 101T and to an outer face 1011 of said opening section substantially perpendicular to said upper face, and said textile is stretched only at a lower portion of the opening section 101T, leaving an upper portion of said opening section free so that the opening section frame can be nested in the fixed section frame.

Such a configuration of the opening section 101T and of the textile makes it possible to use a frame with a fixed section 100T of which two sections of profiles are shown in FIG. 6A.

In reference to FIG. 6B, two fixed sections 100T of two adjacent removable panels 10T have two horizontal branches 1001 of the frame facing. This has two advantages:

-   -   on the one hand, the difference between the panels is controlled         better because, the vertical portions of the profiles of the         fixed section frame do not interfere, due to their thickness, in         the adjusting of the distance between the panels, which allows         for more freedom in the adjusting of the difference between the         panels;     -   on the other hand, the fixed sections are not visible between         the panels by an individual moving in the room that includes the         suspended ceiling.

Although FIG. 6B shows two removable panels 10T, these considerations are also valid for a removable panel 10T adjacent to a non-removable panel.

By way of example, FIG. 6C shows a vertical cross-section view of two adjacent panels, the one on the left being a removable panel 10T, and the one on the right a non-removable filter panel 10F. In this configuration, it appears that the configuration of the square profile of the fixed section frame of the removable panel makes it possible to control the difference between the two panels since the vertical branch 1000 of the profile does not interfere in the management of this difference. Moreover, it appears in FIG. 6C that the non-removable panels can be entirely covered with textile without preventing the implementation of the present disclosure.

The fixed section 100T and the opening section 101T are also connected together by an assembly of slings 4. In the aspects of the present disclosure shown in the figures, four slings 4 are intended for connecting the fixed section 100T and the opening section 101T. The slings 4 are fastened to the fixed section 100T and to the opening section 101T so as to limit the falling of the removable panel 10T when the latter is not maintained nested in the fixed section 100T.

An assembly of safety devices 5, each including at least one means for blocking the sling and at least one means for locking, is also disposed on the opening section 101T.

In reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B, a safety device 5 according to the present disclosure includes an arm 50 and two rivets 51A, 51B. The rivets 51A, 51B are disposed on either side of a groove 1013 of the opening section, in holes of the opening section intended for receiving said rivets. A first rivet 51A makes it possible to permanently fasten the arm 50 to the frame of the opening section by a first end of said arm, the arm 50 being however able to pivot about the axis of said rivet by manual action.

The safety device 5 can then switch from an open (or non-locked) position shown in FIG. 7A to a closed (or locked) position shown in FIG. 7B, wherein a hole 501 of the arm 50 cooperates with a second rivet 51B to block the movement of said arm.

Inversely, the safety device 5 can be switched from a closed (or locked) position to an open (or unlocked) position by disengagement of the arm 50 from the second rivet 51B.

The groove 1013 extends substantially transversally to the frame of the opening section. In the closed (or locked) position, the arm of the safety device 5 is substantially perpendicular to the groove 1013, thus providing a blocking of the sling, which cannot exit from the groove 1013.

In the open (or unlocked) position, the arm of the safety device 5 is no longer perpendicular to the groove, the absence of locking can then cause the sling to exit from the groove.

It should be noted that, for safety, if the safety device 5 is in the open position, the arm 50 prevents the nesting of the opening section 101T in the fixed section 100T. This function is provided by the square shape of the frame of the fixed section. Indeed, if the opening section 101T is installed while at least one of the safety devices 5 is in the open position, then the arm 50 of the at least one of the devices 5 will abut against the vertical branch 1000 of the fixed section 100T, substantially vertical when said fixed section is installed in the suspended ceiling 1, thus preventing the setting in place of said opening section. In an aspect, the safety device 5 is constituted essentially of a metal material. Those skilled in the art will understand that a fastening method other than a rivet can be implemented.

In reference to FIG. 4, four safety devices 5 are distributed facing on the two parallel profiles of the opening section 101T that does not include attachment means 3. This example is not limiting and those skilled in the art will understand that a configuration other than the one shown could be considered, in particular one or more safety devices 5 can be disposed on the profiles comprising the attachment means 3.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, during the installation of the opening section 101T, each sling 4 fastened beforehand on the fixed section 100T installed in the suspended ceiling 1 is inserted into the groove 1013 of the opening section, the corresponding safety device 5 being in the open position. The sling 4 is then reversibly fastened to the opening section 101T, then the associated safety device 5 is locked, i.e. placed in the closed position, so as to prevent the sling 4 from exiting the groove 1013.

Conventionally, the sling 4 includes a cable, intended for being slid into the groove 1013 of the frame of the opening section, and a component at each one of the ends of said cable, for example a ring or a hook, allowing for the fastening of the sling to the fixed section 100T on the one hand, and to the opening section 101T on the other hand.

The exiting of the sling from the groove 1013 is prevented on the one hand by the arm 50 of the safety device 5 placed in the closed position, and on the other hand by the dimensions of the component forming an end of the sling, said dimensions are sufficiently substantial to prevent a passage of said component through said groove. It should be noted that a single sling is shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. The attachment means are not shown in these figures. The opening section 101T is then nested in the fixed section 100T, and maintained in the latter by the attachment means 3.

During the implementation of the opening section 101T in the fixed section, the attachment means 3 are manually oriented by manipulation of the manipulation portion 32 so as to be able to pass the attachment portion 31 in the first recessed zone 1012 of the associated notch 1002.

The attachment means 3 are then vertically oriented so that the attachment portion 31 comes into contact with the horizontal branch 1001 of the fixed section 100T, and more particularly with the plateau 1032 associated with the notch 1002, said contact being maintained via gravity.

When an operator wants to clear the opening section 101T of the fixed section 100T, for example to access the ventilation network, the operator slightly lifts the opening section 101T so as to separate the attachment portion 31 from each one of the attachment means 3 of the fixed section, then pivots said attachment means in order to allow for the passage of the attachment portion 31 of each one of said attachment means by the first associated recessed zone 1012. The opening section can thus be cleared from the fixed section.

In an aspect, each attachment means 3 comprises a spring tending to maintain said attachment means in the vertical position, i.e. the position of said attachment means when it is in contact with the fixed section. In this case, the force exerted by the operator to pivot the attachment means has to offset the force exerted by the spring, to implement the opening section 101T in the fixed section 100T as well as to clear it from said fixed section. The presence of the spring thus represents an additional safety once the opening section implemented in the fixed section.

The safety devices 5 can then be unlocked in order to detach the slings 4 from the opening section 101T, which can then be freely manipulated, and in particular removed in order to allow access to the plenum. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A removable panel including: a fixed section; an opening section configured to be reversibly nested, at least partially, in said fixed section; at least one sling fastened to said fixed section at a first end and reversibly fastened to said opening section at a second end; said removable panel being characterised in that: the opening section includes at least one attachment means making it possible to maintain said opening section engaged in said fixed section, each attachment means including a central portion fastened as a pivot connection with the opening section, said central portion having at an upper end an attachment portion intended for coming into contact with the fixed section, and at a lower end a manipulation portion, and the fixed section includes at least one plateau and at least one notch configured to cooperate with said attachment means.
 2. The removable panel according to claim 1, including a closed position wherein the attachment portion is bearing on the plateau of the fixed section, and an open position wherein the attachment portion is pivoted in the notch.
 3. The removable panel according to claim 1, wherein the notch of the fixed section includes an “L” or “inverted L” shape, a longitudinal side of the notch being aligned with an edge of the fixed section, and the plateau is located in continuity with said notch.
 4. The removable panel according to claim 2, wherein the attachment portion is a substantially flat portion, and in the closed position, said attachment portion is in face-to-face contact with the plateau of the fixed section.
 5. The removable panel according to claim 1, characterised in that said removable panel includes moreover at least one safety device able to provide a fastening of the at least one sling to the opening section.
 6. The removable panel according to claim 5, characterised in that the opening section includes at least one groove, each groove being associated with a safety device, and in that each safety device includes an arm, and a first rivet and a second rivet disposed on either side of said associated groove, the arm being fastened by means of the first rivet to the frame of the opening section by a first end of said arm, so that the arm is able to pivot about the axis of said rivet by manual action, the second rivet being intended for cooperating with a hole of said arm to lock said safety device.
 7. The removable panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the fixed section is a parallelepiped frame having a square section, of which a vertical branch is disposed on the inside side of said frame, and of which a horizontal branch includes said notch.
 8. The removable panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the central portion has a substantially flat and rectangular shape, the attachment portion extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central portion from the upper end of said central portion, and the manipulation portion is a substantially flat portion extending from the lower end of said central portion in a direction forming an angle substantially comprised between 0 and 180 degrees with a direction normal to said central portion.
 9. The removable panel according to claim 8, characterised in that the angle formed by the manipulation portion and the direction normal to said central portion is substantially comprised between 30 and 90 degrees.
 10. A suspended ceiling including an assembly of modular panels characterised in that it includes at least one removable panel according to claim
 1. 11. The suspended ceiling according to claim 10, characterised in that said suspended ceiling is an acoustic suspended ceiling and in that the modular panels as well as the at least one removable panel are of the type: aerated filter panel comprised of a framework covered with a perforated textile cover stretched over said framework or; absorbent panel comprised of a framework supporting an absorbent wad and a microporous veil, the assembly being covered with a textile cover.
 12. The suspended ceiling according to claim 10, characterised in that the modular panels are maintained together by linear junction systems providing a flatness of said suspended ceiling. 